Best monitor for Mac mini in 2025

Best monitor for Mac mini: Apple Mac Mini M2 (2023)
(Image credit: Apple)

The best monitor for Mac mini won't be cheap, but it'll be worth the investment. The Mac mini M4 Pro is a fantastic computer, as are its predecessors the Mac mini M2 Pro and Mac mini M1. So you'll want a decent monitor to match, that reproduces colors accurately and in high resolution. In our guide, you'll find the best on the market today, at a range of prices. (And if you don't actually have a Mac mini, but a Mac Studio M2, they're a great match for that device as well.)

Our testers have years of experience in both reviewing monitors and using them in their own jobs. So you can trust that these are the best monitors for Mac mini on the market today, and if you want to know more, we've included links to the full reviews.

In this guide, we'll share all the specs you need to know, including display size, resolution, panel technology, color accuracy and connectivity options. You might also wish to read our more general guides to the best monitors for photo editing and the best video editing monitors.

Our top picks

Best monitor for Mac mini in 2025

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The best monitor for Mac mini overall

(Image credit: Paul Reiffer)
The best monitor for Mac mini overall

Specifications

Screen size: 27 inches
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Resolution: 5120×2880 (5K)
Brightness: 600cd/m2
Contrast ratio: 1200:1
USB-C: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
5K resolution
+
Wide viewing angle
+
Glare reduction

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive

If you want the best monitor for Mac mini, you want to go to the source, right? Just be warned: it's very expensive.

Should you be able to afford it, though, you'll be rewarded with a very lovely 27-inch 5K display, with true and consistent colors, up to 600 nits of brightness, and an extremely wide viewing angle. The nano-textured glass option on the screen delivers an incredible amount of glare reduction. And connectivity is excellent too, with three USB-C ports and one Thunderbolt port.

Read our full Apple Studio Display review for more details.

The best monitor for Mac mini for color accuracy

(Image credit: Future)
Best color-accurate monitor for Mac mini

Specifications

Size: 27-inch
Ratio: 16x9
Resolution: 3840x2160
Brightness: 300cd/m2
Contrast ratio: 1000:1
sRGB gamut (claimed): 100%
Adobe RGB gamut (claimed): 99%

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent color accuracy
+
Hardware calibration
+
Overall high build quality

Reasons to avoid

-
Price is hard to justify
-
Few compelling upgrades over old model
-
Hotkey Puck of arguable usefulness

BenQ has a history of making some of the best monitors for photo editing, and the SW272U is its latest flagship offering for discerning photo and video editors. The new 4K display boasts factory color calibration to an accuracy of Delta E ≤1.5 and is capable of displaying 100% sRGB and 99% AdobeRGB coverage.

You also get USB-C connectivity with 90W Power Delivery, plus BenQ's third-generation color Uniformity Technology, hardware color calibration, and a 'Hotkey Puck' remote control for easy settings adjustment and color mode switching. We found this monitor performed brilliantly in our comprehensive testing. The only drawback here is its price, which is significant.

Read our full BenQ PhotoVue SW272U review for more details

The best budget monitor for Mac mini

(Image credit: ASUS)
Best affordable Mac mini monitor

Specifications

Screen size: 27-inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Brightness: 350 cd/m
Color gamuts: 100% sRGB, 100% Rec. 709
Contrast ratio: 1000:1 (typ)
Input: 1x USB-C, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0

Reasons to buy

+
Great color coverage and superior color accuracy
+
4K display at a great mid-range price

Reasons to avoid

-
sRGB setting a little dim
-
Menu interface is a little fiddly

There are a lot of impressive professional monitors out there, but if you're short on bugdet, there aren't many affordable options we can recommend. Thankfully, here's one big exception.

The ProArt Display PA279CV comes with 100% sRGB and 100% Rec. 709 color gamut, a decent brightness level of 350 nits, Delta E < 2 color accuracy, and plenty of connectivity options, including a USB-C port that offers power delivery. You'll also add four more USB 3.1 ports to your Mac mini, thanks to the built-in USB hub. Otherwise, there aren’t many premium features... but at such a low price, you’re still getting a whole lot of value.

Read our full ASUS ProArt Display PA279CV review for more details.

The best premium monitor for Mac mini

(Image credit: Apple)

4. Apple Pro Display XDR

Best monitor for Mac mini if money's no object

Specifications

Screen size: 32-inch
Resolution: 6016 x 3384
Brightness: 1,000 cd/m²
Color gamuts: P3 wide
Contrast ratio: 1,000,000:1
Input: 3x USB-C, 1x Thunderbolt 3

Reasons to buy

+
1,000 nits sustained brightness and full DCI-P3 gamut
+
DisplayHDR 1600 is exceptional

Reasons to avoid

-
No other ports beyond USB-C and Thunderbolt 3
-
Breathtakingly expensive price is hard to justify

The Apple Pro Display XDR actually has the best specs on this list. But we couldn't place it at number one because it's overkill for most people, even professionals, and the $4,999/£4,999 price is far, far beyond the average pocket.

That said, if you happen to have the money or if you simply want the absolute best, this is the 6K monitor of your creative workload dreams, touting an eye-blasting 1,000-nit typical brightness, extremely high contrast ratio, and full DCI-P3 color space for your video editing pleasure. That’s not to mention the beautifully smart, ultramodern design and ideal 32-inch size.

In other words, if you’re looking for the best 6K monitor and money's no object, you won’t regret this investment.

The best ultrawide monitor for Mac mini

Recommended

(Image credit: Future)
The best ultrawide monitor for Mac mini

Specifications

Screen size: 34-inch
Aspect ratio: 21:9
Resolution: 3,440 x 1,440
Brightness: 350 cd/m2
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Response time: 5ms
Viewing angle: 178/178
Contrast ratio: 1,000:1
Color support: 100% Rec.709,100% sRGB, 98% DCI-P3
Weight: 9.3kg

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent image quality
+
Versatile screen size
+
98% DCI-P3 coverage

Reasons to avoid

-
Max brightness not great
-
AdobeRGB coverage could be better
-
Sub-4K resolution

The BenQ PD3420Q is our top monitor pick for the Mac mini if you want an ultrawide viewing perspective. It boasts a quality 3,440 x 1,440 resolution, spread over a 34-inch 21:9 ultrawide screen, giving you a huge desktop to work on. And its 2,500:1 contrast means your images will look bright and vibrant.

The PD3420Q also supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), backed up by VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification, enabling enhanced clarity in extreme highlight and shadow areas. Crucially, this monitor also has 100% sRGB, 100% Rec.709 and an impressive 98% DCI-P3 color space coverage, making it a great choice for photographers, videographers and designers alike.

Read our full BenQ PD3420Q review

The best monitor for Mac mini for creatives

(Image credit: Australian Camera)
Best Mac mini monitor for photographers and illustrators

Specifications

Screen size: 31.5-inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Brightness: 250 cd/m²
Color gamuts: 100% Rec.709, 100% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3
Contrast ratio: 1000:1
Input: 1x DisplayPort, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x Thunderbolt 3

Reasons to buy

+
Factory calibrated accuracy and Pantone validated
+
Excellent feature set like KVM switch and remote controller
+
CAD/CAM Mode on hand for illustrators and designers

Reasons to avoid

-
Color accuracy could be better, despite calibration
-
No full Adobe sRGB color gamut

For a 32-inch display, the BenQ DesignVue PD3220U is quite expensive. However, we'd say it's the best monitor for Mac mini users who use their mini PC for photo editing, graphic design and/or engineering work.

This 4K display comes with 100% Rec.709, 100% sRGB and 95% DCI-P3 color gamut as well as different color modes for different graphical workloads – from photography and video editing to animation and illustration.

On top of that, there are other features to simplify your workflow including a KVM switch, USB hub, and a hotkey puck for quick access to settings. Despite the middling brightness level and color accuracy, therefore, you’re still getting a bang for your buck.

Read our full BenQ PD3220U review for more details.

The best monitor for Mac mini for ergonomics

(Image credit: LG)

7. LG 32UN880-B UltraFine Ergo

Best ergonomic display for Mac mini

Specifications

Screen size: 31.5-inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Brightness: 350 cd/m²
Color gamuts: 95% DCI-P3
Contrast ratio: 1000:1
Input: 1x DisplayPort, 2x HDMI, 1x USB-C

Reasons to buy

+
Fully articulating mount and stand is unrivaled
+
Surprisingly affordable for all that it offers

Reasons to avoid

-
More for beginner creatives rather than pro-level ones
-
HDR is a bit of a disappointment

If ergonomics is your priority over everything else, you will appreciate the LG 32UN880-B UltraFine Ergo’s impressive mount and stand, which together offers next-level flexibility unlike anything else we’ve seen.

Thanks to this system, you can extend and retract, swivel, tilt, pivot, and adjust its height to your heart’s content – or at least to the position that feels most comfortable and productive to you.

That’s whether you’re editing high resolution photos or writing your next novel. Of course, the 95% DCI-P3 color gamut, 350 nits of brightness, and a variety of input ports should be helpful to your creative process as well.

How to choose the best monitor for Mac mini

The best monitors for Mac mini should take full advantage of its prowess. Anything less – especially with 4K fast becoming the standard – would be a disservice. A 1440p monitor can work as well if you’re on a tight budget, but bear in mind that the best 4K monitors can be just as inexpensive. (Take a look at our guide to the best Dell monitors too.)

Screen size is also important. Some folks choose the Mac mini for its size, which means that desk space might be a factor. If that’s the case, a monitor with a 27-inch panel should suffice as it will fit your small setup better. If size isn’t a factor, you’ll be better served with a 32-inch display as that is the sweet spot for 4K resolution. On the other hand, if you need an ultrawide monitor with generous screen real estate, a 34-inch is best.

Other things to consider include color coverage and accuracy, contrast ratio, brightness levels, ergonomics, and availability of ports – all of which are of varying levels of importance depending on your daily workload.

How we test monitors

We evaluate monitors with particular attention given to its core image quality, including brightness, contrast, color vibrancy and accuracy. While will be assessed by the experienced eye of our professional reviewer, some manufacturer screen specs can only be definitively judged by an 'electronic eye'; a monitor calibrator.

Where possible, a calibration device will be placed on the screen to verify its advertised color space coverage, brightness output and consistency, and factory color calibration accuracy. Beyond image quality, we'll also scrutinise the display and data ports to ensure acceptable connectivity, and will give a thorough assessment of build quality, including the range of ergonomic adjustment in its stand. Only then will we determine if a screen is worthy of use by a discerning imaging or video enthusiast.

FAQs

Does the Mac mini come with a monitor?

No, the Mac mini does not come with a monitor. It is a desktop computer that requires you to connect it to an external display, keyboard, and mouse, all of which you need to buy separately. You'll find the best monitors for Mac mini above. For help with the other two, read our guides to the best Mac keyboards and the best Mac mice.

Why buy a Mac mini?

The Mac mini is a compact, powerful and energy efficient desktop computer that doesn't take up a lot of space. Equipped with Apple's M-series chips, the latest models deliver impressive performance for a wide range of tasks, from everyday computing to demanding creative work such as photo and video editing. While not fully modular, the Mac mini allows for some upgrades, such as additional RAM or storage, extending its lifespan.

How does the Mac mini M4 Pro compare to previous models?

The Mac mini M4 is a significant upgrade on its predecessors, offer faster speeds, a more compact size and better connectivity. Our reviewer found its powerful M4 chip delivers impressive performance for a wide range of tasks, from everyday computing to demanding professional workloads. He concluded that its combination of compact design, affordability, power, and modularity makes it a standout product in Apple's lineup. For more details, read our Mac mini M4 Pro review.

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Michelle Rae Uy

Michelle is a writer and photographer based in Los Angeles, California. She regularly writes for Fodor's Travel, Steve's Digicams, Thrillist and Techlicious, and is currently a freelance SEO and Production Editor for TechRadar.

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